FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP— CentraState Medical Center recently recognized three hard-working nurses with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Award, by the DAISY Foundation, honors nurses who exhibit extraordinary and compassionate care to patients and their families every day.
The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in the memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at just 33 years old in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “Diseases Attacking the Immune System.”
The DAISY Award recognizes those nurses that are exemplary of the compassion and quality of care that Patrick and his family received while he was ill. It is their way of thanking nurses for making a difference in the lives of patients and their families.
Nurses can be nominated for the award by anyone, including patients, families, and colleagues, and are chosen by a committee at CentraState.
CentraState recognized the following nurses with The DAISY Award:
- Laurie Jaffe, BA, BSN, RN, CCRN
- Mary Aguilar, BS, BSN, RN-BC
- Felicis Janice Pascua, RN, BSN.
Jaffe, Aguilar and Pascua displayed extraordinary care and compassion while caring for a patient who had cancer surgery at CentraState.
An excerpt from their nomination stated: “We are so grateful for these talented and compassionate professionals. They applied knowledge and communication skills to help people move forward, providing the confidence and the support needed to manage pain and encourage people to heal. They all exemplify one true basic element of humanity, compassionately caring for people when they cannot help themselves.”
These three nurses received an “Extraordinary Nurse” certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
“We are proud to be among the health care organizations participating in The Daisy Award program,” said Linda Geisler, vice president, Patient Services, CentraState Healthcare System. “Our nurses are some of the most compassionate, selfless and dedicated unsung heroes in the industry, and The Daisy Foundation provides a way for us to pay them homage.”
